Pakistan Using Former Afghan Military Personnel Against Baloch Separatists: Iranian Media
According to a report by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, Pakistan’s military and intelligence agencies are using government-backed armed groups to act against Baloch separatists in Balochistan and a number of former Afghan security personnel have reportedly joined these groups.
The report, published on August 6, claims that so-called “Lashkars” (death squads) are active in Balochistan with the support of Pakistani security institutions, working alongside the army, border forces, and the country’s intelligence agencies to carry out security operations and counter-insurgency efforts.
According to the report, these groups function as proxy forces, participating in certain Pakistani security operations without being formally integrated into the state structure.
The report further claims that a number of former Afghan security personnel, who left Afghanistan after the fall of the democratic government in 2021 have joined Pakistani security institutions and these so-called armed groups (death squads).
The media report further claims that the primary motivation for these former Afghan personnel is securing financial resources and sustaining their livelihood.
